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Quiz about Ballooning
Quiz about Ballooning

Ballooning Trivia Quiz


Come float gently with me on a trip in a balloon - all about the people, journeys, and equipment from this fascinating mode of transport...

A multiple-choice quiz by Rowena8482. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Rowena8482
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
305,181
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
302
Question 1 of 10
1. The first manned hot air balloon free flight took place in France in 1783. The pilots were Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis Francois d'Arlands, who petitioned King Louis XVI for the honour. Who had the King originally intended to be the pilots? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The town of Tullamore, in Ireland, was the setting for a ballooning first in May 1785. The event is commemorated to this day on the town crest; what event was it? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. During the American Civil War, there was an official Union Army Balloon Corps, who carried out reconnaissance duties using tethered gas filled balloons. Which scientist and veteran balloonist was appointed by President Lincoln to lead them? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The largest commercially available modern hot air balloons can carry up to twenty four people, and have an envelope encompassing over 100,000 square feet. At the other end of the scale is a single person recreational balloon, with a simple harness rather than a basket or gondola. What name is given to these small one-person balloons? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The first ever balloon crossing of the Atlantic Ocean was achieved in 1978 by three American pilots. What was the name of their balloon? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The world's premiere balloon race, the "Coupe Aeronautique" is named after the man who founded it in 1906. Who was he? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The 'lift' of a hot air or hot gas balloon comes when the heated gas in the envelope becomes lighter than the surrounding atmosphere. Which scientist's principle is this in accordance with? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The vast majority of modern balloons have an envelope made of nylon. Smaller panels are sewn together to make up several larger "strips" which are then sewn in turn to form the envelope. What is the correct term for these "strips"? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which gas is used in most modern hot gas balloons? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In order to descend in a hot gas balloon, it is necessary to spill out some of the hot gas from the envelope. At the very top of the envelope is a valve, worked via a cord control. What is this valve called? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The first manned hot air balloon free flight took place in France in 1783. The pilots were Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis Francois d'Arlands, who petitioned King Louis XVI for the honour. Who had the King originally intended to be the pilots?

Answer: Convicted criminals

The first tethered manned balloon flight took place in October 1783, with three passengers, including de Rozier, in Paris. King Louis wanted criminals to be the passengers in the first free flight in case of a disaster, but d'Arlands and de Rozier were eager to participate and persuaded the King to allow them to go instead.

Their balloon was designed by the Montgolfier brothers, and was a true "hot air" balloon, rather than gas-filled.
2. The town of Tullamore, in Ireland, was the setting for a ballooning first in May 1785. The event is commemorated to this day on the town crest; what event was it?

Answer: The first disastrous balloon crash burned down 100 houses

The advent of balloon aviation also brought the advent of the aviation disaster. Tullamore holds the dubious honour of being the site of the world's first. The town crest shows a phoenix rising from the ashes in memory of the crash.
3. During the American Civil War, there was an official Union Army Balloon Corps, who carried out reconnaissance duties using tethered gas filled balloons. Which scientist and veteran balloonist was appointed by President Lincoln to lead them?

Answer: Thaddeus Lowe

Thaddeus Lowe later wrote about his time with the Balloon Corps, including the story of how the Union Army captured "the last silk dress of the Confederacy."
The Confederates had gathered together all the silk they could find by appealing for ladies to donate their dresses and made a single patchwork balloon. This balloon was attached to a boat on the James River where it became stranded by the tide and was duly captured by the Union Army.

The loss of their only balloon in such circumstances prompted General Longstreet to write, "This capture was the meanest trick of the war and one that I have never yet forgiven."
4. The largest commercially available modern hot air balloons can carry up to twenty four people, and have an envelope encompassing over 100,000 square feet. At the other end of the scale is a single person recreational balloon, with a simple harness rather than a basket or gondola. What name is given to these small one-person balloons?

Answer: Hoppers

The most well known hoppers are the "Cloudhoppers" made by British company Lindstradt Balloons, and the term cloudhopper is often used synonymously for all hoppers, in the way that British vacuum cleaners are called 'hoovers.' The harness on a hopper is very similar to a parachute harness, and often swivels independently of the envelope to allow the pilot to turn in all directions at will.

The famous "lawn chair" balloon flight of Larry Walters would be classed as a hopper flight.
5. The first ever balloon crossing of the Atlantic Ocean was achieved in 1978 by three American pilots. What was the name of their balloon?

Answer: Double Eagle II

On August 16th 1978, Larry Newman, Ben Abruzzo and Max Anderson successfully landed in a field 60 miles from Paris, having spent just over 137 hours in flight since taking off from Maine.
6. The world's premiere balloon race, the "Coupe Aeronautique" is named after the man who founded it in 1906. Who was he?

Answer: Gordon Bennett

Gordon Bennett was the French-born newspaper publisher of the "New York Herald". It was he who provided backing to send Stanley to search for David Livingston in Africa in 1869.

The "Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett" is the most important event in the ballooning world. Each year teams of international balloonists compete to see who can travel the furthest distance from the start point. The inaugural event, in 1906, was won by Frank Lahm and Henry Hersey of the USA, who travelled just over 641Km from the start point in Paris.
7. The 'lift' of a hot air or hot gas balloon comes when the heated gas in the envelope becomes lighter than the surrounding atmosphere. Which scientist's principle is this in accordance with?

Answer: Archimedes

It is Archimedes' buoyancy principle in action. The amount of lift generated is dependent upon the temperature difference between the gas inside and the air outside the envelope.
8. The vast majority of modern balloons have an envelope made of nylon. Smaller panels are sewn together to make up several larger "strips" which are then sewn in turn to form the envelope. What is the correct term for these "strips"?

Answer: Gores

The panels form gores, which in turn form the envelope. The gores are attached to a circular 'skirt,' which is shaped like a hoop, at the lower end, and meet at the crown of the envelope at the top end. The skirt material is coated with fire resistant substance as it is closest to the flame from the burner.
9. Which gas is used in most modern hot gas balloons?

Answer: Propane

Modern balloons use liquid propane tanks to supply the fuel to the burner.
The tanks containing the compressed liquid propane are situated in the bottom of the gondola, and an intake hose connects the bottom of the tanks to the burner.
The propane runs through a heating coil of copper tubing, around the burner and is gasefied before it emerges to be ignited by a pilot light. This system gives a hotter flame and greater fuel efficiency than just igniting the liquid propane.
10. In order to descend in a hot gas balloon, it is necessary to spill out some of the hot gas from the envelope. At the very top of the envelope is a valve, worked via a cord control. What is this valve called?

Answer: Parachute Valve

The parachute valve control cord runs down from the parachute valve to the gondola so the pilot can open and close it as necessary. The only controls on a balloon are the burner and parachute valve ones. Although much at the mercy of the prevailing winds, a skilled pilot can steer a balloon laterally by adjusting the height of the balloon and having an extensive knowledge of the wind directions at various altitudes.
Source: Author Rowena8482

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